Build #1 ST1-M (Vorpal)

I opted for an ST1 with a maple fret-board, black hardware and a red pearloid pick-guard. I wanted something simple but useful.
I have sanded the neck to 600 glass paper and 1200 carbon paper. It feels amazing. I am planning to leave it naked, in time if it seems necessary I'll do something more to finish it.
I put silver paper on the bottom of the new red pick-guard like the factory one had. I have been advised that with three single coils in this configuration a Faraday cage would be of no effect so at the moment I won't shield the body cavity.
I plan to fit the neck and bolt it then jiggle the pick-guard and bridge, screw in the bridge and the jiggle the pick-guard for a best fit and then screw it off. Then disassemble it to paint the body.
Have I got a workable plan or should I alter it please anyone? I'm open to suggestions.

Hi simdingo, that plan should work fine, although I do take a different approach with my builds. Once I'm happy the neck fits nicely, I just go for it on getting the body painted. Once it's all finished I just mount everything. I know there is a school of thought that says getting all your drilling done before painting is the go, but I just take it very carefully, generally using a nail punch to mark locations, a manual drill to do pilot holes, and then a drill press to finish them off. I just feel it gives me a bit more flexibility if I need to do any mods to the pickguard, and also in getting the bridge position spot on.

Thanks for your reply Chuck, I get what you're saying, by the way, any hints on how to get the bridge spot on?

Probably the best way is to get your high and low e strings on and then you can check the alignment of the bridge - I'll use bits of tape to mark where the edges of the bridge should be. Then I get the fore/aft adjustment done by simply measuring scale length. I think there's a video in the guides section about it.

I also have another technique where I get two pieces of 20mm aluminium angle and hold those against each side of the neck, kind of like the string technique but a little easier to my mind. im not sure I'm describing either technique that we'll - hopefully one of the cleverer forumites will come and make it a bit more obvious!

Basically what Chick said. I'd first measure the bridge and mark on it the centreline. Bolt the neck on, and run string from the two E slots down the neck to the bridge. You can fit the two E tuners on to help hold the string. The trem block on the bridge will limit the bridge placement anyway, so it can't go too much fore and aft or sideways.

Move the bridge sideways until the two strings are running nice and parallel to the edges of the neck, then mark the two sides of the bridge and the centreline lightly onto the body with a pencil. I'd then position the bridge fore and aft so the trem block is in the middle of the trem cutaway. Again mark this on the body and then measure the scale length from the fretboard side of the nut at the high E slot to the high E saddle. The official scale length is 648mm and with the high E saddle adjusted fairly well forwards (but not quite all the way, you should measure 648mm. A little bit either way is OK as you will fine tune the saddle position when you finally get to intonate the guitar. The other saddles should end up 'behind' the High E saddle as they need slightly longer string lengths to intonate properly.

If you can do this with no issues, then mark the bridge screw hole positions onto the body. If you are unsure, come back to us with some photos and your measurements.

haha Simon has Chuck had a sex change and is now Chick ? ahhahah all good just a simple typo

Ha! Sorry Chuck (I must have thought it was still the weekend ;) )

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

Ha! Sorry Chuck (I must have thought it was still the weekend ;) )

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Ha! You can do worse with typos on my name than that!!

Thanks Chuck, Chick and Simon, just what I needed. Back to the drawing board! Also with my super strength I managed , in my exuberance, to twist the head off a machine head screw. I think the wood has a bit of swirly tight grain at that point. Should I worry about it? Is there anything else I can do apart from replace the neck?

haha Simdingo sounds like we have an imaginary forum member called Chick !

Please post a photo of the stripped screw head there are ways to remove it. Is any of the screw head or shaft exposed ?

I've known a Charles or two called Chick and Chook! There's little or no screw left above the wood I'd say Wokkaboy, judging from what fell off. I might have to leave it till it causes a problem. I've got the nut tight, hoping that will suffice. Might have to assemble the guitar and deal with it then but thanks.

They don't make screws like they used to. Unfortunately it's true.

Those machine head screws are a challenge - the old trick of putting a little beeswax in them before screwing them in certainly helps the process, and also making sure to drill pilot holes (which you may well have done and still had issues).

A lot of cheap small screws are alloy, and the heads rarely last intact past a single insertion.

Post some pictures of the broken screw in the headstock and we should be able to give some options for how to fix it. Relying on the nut alone to stop the machine head from twisting isn't the best option in the long-term.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/ctvinformer...hick-Corea.jpg

I assure you, Chick is a guys name.

My late Uncle Graham's nick name was Chick.
Half the time, he wouldn't answer to Graham!

haha good one Zandit. I remember the guy who has organised the Summernats in Canberra for many years is Chick Henry.

funny how much of a tangent this thread has gone from one letter typo of a name haha

@ Simdingo sorry for the thread jack !

I'm sure I replied last night...I threw the offending article away, it was the head and about 3 mm of shaft. Just checked it and I can barely feel the tip of the shaft. Might have to put a carefully placed screw beside the head to anchor it against the pull of the string.

Simdingo there are extraction kits for broken screw heads/shafts or if you carefully drill 2/3 small holes adjacent the broken shaft you should be able to pull it out with needle nose pliers. Then drill out with a larger drill and plug/glue, sand/clean up and away you go

You're not just a pretty face Wokkaboy! Cheers for that! Actually, now that it's done and the tuning head is in place, you have to look hard to see it! Thanks for the help!

no worries Simdingo and thanks for the complement I will take it as they are rare !!

just remember when you screw in tuner screws wipe the screw thread on soap (some use bees wax or any lubricant) to lessen the chance of the screw head snapping off. Most the other screws in the kit are larger and you would be unlucky to snap a head off.
I also do a test drill in scrap to find out the correct drill size. Think the tuner screws are 1.5mm drill bit. If the drill hole is too small your chances of snapping the head off increase.

Thanks Wokkaboy, good idea about the soap etc. I used a 1.5 mm bit but I think it needs 2 mm in this area. The others werOK but 5 & 6 seem to be in a knotty area.Attachment 16856

If it needs 2mm, then do it. Just hold the screw up to the drill first and if you can still see some thread either side, you should be fine. If not, try widening the 1.5mm hole if you can. The screw doesn't need a huge amount of grip to push down hard to hold anything in place, just itself. The fact that it's there will stop the machine head turning. If it feels a bit loose in the bigger hole, then a drop of PVA or Titebond glue should hold it a bit more securely.

Thanks Simon, invaluable!

I've currently got about 6mm of cheap drill bit snapped off in my headstock... Damn pain.